Ford World Headquarters

Last updated
Ford World Headquarters
Ford World Headquarters under clouds, from parking lot.jpg
Exterior in 2025
Ford World Headquarters
Interactive map of Ford World Headquarters
Alternative namesCentral Campus Office Building
The Hub
General information
StatusUnder construction
TypeOffice
Location1 American Road
Dearborn, Michigan 48124
United States
Coordinates 42°18′00.2″N83°14′09.8″W / 42.300056°N 83.236056°W / 42.300056; -83.236056 (Henry Ford II World Center)
Construction startedDecember 2020 (2020-12)
Completed2027
Owner Ford Motor Company
Technical details
Floor count4
Floor area2,100,000 sq ft (195,096 m2)
Lifts/elevators36
Design and construction
Architect Snøhetta
Main contractorBarton Malow
Website
corporate.ford.com/dearborn

The Ford World Headquarters (alternatively known as the Central Campus Building and the Hub) [1] is an under-construction office building in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It has served as the global headquarters of the Ford Motor Company since 2025, though construction on portions of the building will continue through 2027. [2] Designed by Snøhetta, [1] the four-story building includes 2,100,000 square feet (200,000 m2) of floor space, containing Ford's administrative offices, as well as product development facilities. [2]

Contents

History

From 1956 to 2025, Ford's headquarters were located in a 12-story office tower near the interchange of Michigan Avenue and M-39 in Dearborn, known since 1996 as the Henry Ford II World Center, and commonly called the Glass House. [3] Prior to the Glass House, Ford's central staff were based in the 3000 Schaefer Building, constructed in 1928 at the corner of Schaefer Road and what is now Rotunda Drive in Dearborn. [4] [5] The building was subsequently occupied by the Lincoln Mercury division after completion of the Glass House, later became the Ford Parts Department and was ultimately razed in 1997. [5]

In 2016, Ford announced a wide-ranging redevelopment of its Research and Engineering Campus in Dearborn, and hired SmithGroupJJR to develop plans for the project. The 10-year project would have consolidated the roughly 30,000 Ford employees across 70 buildings in Dearborn into the Research and Engineering Campus and the Henry Ford II World Center, with expansions and renovations also planned for the latter. [6] Updated plans, developed by Snøhetta and released by then-CEO Jim Hackett in 2019, included the Hub, then planned as a figure-eight shaped building. [7] [8]

The site of the Hub, across Oakwood Boulevard from The Henry Ford, was previously occupied by Ford's Product Development Center (PDC). The PDC, completed in 1955, was demolished in December 2020 to make way for the new facility. [9] [10] [11] Groundbreaking occurred that month on the new building, which was then only reported to be a larger research and development facility; [11] [12] it was not until September 2025 that Ford announced that the building would replace the Glass House as its global headquarters. [2] [13] [14] [15]

The new facility was dedicated as the Ford World Headquarters on November 16, 2025, in a public grand opening ceremony with tours of the interior. [16] [17] On opening, it adopted the honorific address 1 American Road, which was previously the address of the Glass House. All employees from the Glass House are expected to move into the new building by mid-2026, [18] though construction will continue on portions of the new building through 2027. [2]

Architecture

The Hub anchors an ongoing redevelopment of Ford's Research and Engineering Campus, master-planned by Snøhetta. [7] [8] The relocation of Ford's administrative headquarters to the campus was intended to consolidate Ford's workforce and bring senior management closer to product development facilities, allowing for increased collaboration and interaction between employees in different departments. [19] Ford reports that 14,000 employees will work within a 15-minute walk of the Hub when the project is completed. [17]

The contemporary building was constructed primarily from concrete and steel, with a large glass façade. [1] [20] It contains a total of 2,100,000 square feet (200,000 m2) of floor space, capable of supporting 4,000 employees. [20] It contains 34 passenger elevators and two freight elevators. [19]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Amselem, Ilana (2025-11-21). "Snøhetta completes Ford's new Central Campus Building in Dearborn". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Noble, Breana (2025-09-15). "Ford to get new hometown HQ, Glass House to be demolished". The Detroit News . Archived from the original on 2025-09-15. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  3. LaReau, Jamie L. (2025-09-15). "Ford Motor Company to say goodbye to 'Glass House' in Dearborn, move world headquarters". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  4. LaReau, Jamie L. (2025-09-15). "Ford's numerous world headquarter buildings hold vault of company history". Detroit Free Press . Archived from the original on 2025-09-15. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  5. 1 2 "Ford Motor Company Administrative Center/Henry Ford II World Center". Detroit.org.
  6. Martinez, Michael. "Ford unveils 10-year plan to transform Dearborn campus". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  7. 1 2 Thibodeau, Ian (2019-09-17). "Ford revamps plans for Dearborn campus redesign". The Detroit News . Archived from the original on 2025-11-25.
  8. 1 2 "Ford Dearborn Master Plan". Snøhetta . Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  9. Foote, Brett (2020-12-28). "Ford Product Development Center Demolished For New Campus". Ford Authority. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  10. Strohl, Daniel (2020-09-15). "Demolition begins on Ford's Dearborn styling house, the Product Development Center". Hemmings Motor News . Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  11. 1 2 Phelan, Mark (2020-10-02). "Ford says goodbye to birthplace of classic vehicles with car show in secret courtyard". Detroit Free Press . Archived from the original on 2025-11-23. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  12. Hickman, Matt (2021-04-23). "Snøhetta unveils Central Campus Building for Ford's sprawling Dearborn complex". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  13. Householder, Mike (2025-09-15). "Ford is moving its world headquarters for the first time in 7 decades to a new campus 3 miles away". AP News. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  14. Ford, Bill; Farley, Jim (2025-09-15). "A New Era in Dearborn: Introducing the New Ford World Headquarters". Ford From the Road. Ford Motor Company. Archived from the original on 2025-09-15. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  15. Hutchinson, Derick (2025-09-15). "Ford announces Glass House will be demolished as company moves to new headquarters". WDIV . Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  16. Hinds, Julie (2025-11-16). "Public admires Ford's new world headquarters at open house". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  17. 1 2 Noble, Breana (2025-11-26). "Ford's new Dearborn world headquarters to help the automaker operate differently". The Detroit News . Archived from the original on 2025-11-23.
  18. Ford, Bill; Farley, Jim (2025-09-15). "A New Era in Dearborn: Introducing the New Ford World Headquarters". Ford From the Road. Ford Motor Company. Archived from the original on 2025-09-15. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  19. 1 2 LaReau, Jamie L. (2025-11-24). "Inside Ford's new world headquarters are nods to the past and cues to the future". Detroit Free Press . Archived from the original on 2025-11-25.
  20. 1 2 Smith, Jackie (2025-11-17). "Ford Motor Company unveils new headquarters, replacing iconic Glass House, in Dearborn". MLive . Retrieved 2025-11-25.